Juni in New York City

Lobster, sea urchin and apple purée at Juni.

My plane landed in New York City on Valentine’s Day around the same time all the men were picking up bouquets of roses and rushing down the street to meet their dates. All of them were happily smiling, even those not yet with their lady friends, but maybe that’s because it finally stopped snowing.

Lobster, sea urchin and apple purée at Juni.

My cab driver couldn’t believe I was on vacation alone, let alone dining by myself on the biggest date night of the year. When I explained that I was excited to see how people reacted to my solitariness, he suggested he and his wife tag along with me. Little did he know my passion for food probably surpasses that of most couples’ for each other, so dining alone on Valentine’s Day was a declaration of my love of culinary wonderments.

The trio of amuse bouche to start the meal.

After changing into a little black dress (it was Valentine’s Day, after all), I arrived at Juni, the modern American restaurant in Manhattan’s Flatiron neighborhood tucked underneath the Hotel Chandler. Executive Chef (and co-owner) Shaun Hergatt’s impressive resume includes numerous awards from around the world, most notably two Michelin stars at his previous restaurant, Sho Shaun Hergatt, where I experienced his culinary skills in 2012.

The amuse bouche were so cute!

Barely opened in the fall, Juni is already causing a stir in New York City’s food scene, wearing the banner of Best New Restaurant by Esquire and making Zagat’s list of 10 Sexiest Restaurants in New York. For Valentine’s Day, the restaurant offered a five-course tasting menu with two options for each course for $175/person.

Oysters paired with Cava is always a classic couple.

After starting with several amuse bouches, the first course was a trio of oysters with citrus blossoms and yuzu reduction, a refreshing start to the meal. I loved how the taste of the citrus blossoms lingered after each oyster.

A layering of veal and pine nuts, polenta and quail egg and crunchy leaves.

The second course took on a heavier route with veal tongue, polenta, pine nuts, pesto and a quail egg. Intensely savory, the dish played the comfort chord well, using the polenta to balance the almost awkward texture of tongue. The course was a striking contrast to the oysters and may have been better placed later in the meal. (This dish is currently on Juni’s regular dinner menu, unlike some others I had throughout the night.)

My favorite course of the night.

Next came the Nova Scotia Lobster topped with sea urchin in uni broth with apple puree. As expected, it was richness topped with richness, but done tastefully (pun intended) with the contrasts of tartness thanks to the apples. Definitely my favorite course of the night.

The rose petals were a cute touch for Valentine’s Day.

The New York Squab with rose petals and lovage followed. I’m a huge fan of squab for its juiciness and the crispy skin on this dish added a nice touch. The squab jus had a touch of foie gras, upping the richness factor, but I never would have guessed it if the server didn’t tell me. (This is also on Juni’s dinner menu.)

I ended with the Beet Spongecake with rosemilk ice cream and chocolate. The beet and rosemilk ice cream were lovely together, their light flavors kept the dish from being too much, while the chocolate boldly enhanced the overall dessert feel. I loved the unique flavors and textures of the dish.

The “petit fours” ended the meal.

The attention to detail at Juni was impressive. Each course was presented beautifully, the service was spot-on and they even had a little stool for my purse so it didn’t touch the floor. (Something I adored about restaurants in Japan but haven’t seen anywhere else!) Chef Hergatt came to my table to ask how my dinner was, astonishing on a night as busy as Valentine’s day! Their website calls Juni “a personal affair between the guest and the chef” and I left truly feeling that was the case.

1 Comment

Hello, I'm Kelli Nakagama. Welcome to the random tidbits of my life! I write about adventures in food and drinks, traveling near and far, and the miscellaneous bits of life in between. I'm a high-heel addict, whiskey fanatic, opera aficionado, four-letter word lover, wine enthusiast and travel wanderer who recently moved from Salt Lake City to Chicago. Enjoy!

Subscribe via Email

Sponsored Links

More Stories

Paris is but a dream. Its breathtaking beauty has been lamented about for centuries in novels and poems, songs and operas. Painters, photographers and…

About Random Acts of Kelliness

Random Acts of Kelliness is a food and travel blog by Kelli Nakagama. I write about traveling around the world; restaurant reviews for Salt Lake City and places I travel; plus the arts, entertainment and random bits of life in between.